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Monthly Archives: August 2011

“Stupid”: From the Latin “stupere” – “to be numb.” I think that it would be a good idea for readers interested in contemporary politics in the United States to keep this definition in mind as I offer a few quotes … Continue reading →

With America already in the throes of the 2012 Presidential election, and with a slate of Republican candidates all vying to prove themselves more patriotic than their rivals, I thought that a brief quiz on the subject of our country’s … Continue reading →

26 August 1946 – George Orwell publishes “Animal Farm.” With America in the throes of a Tea Party revolution, it might be a good idea to re-read Orwell’s ever-timely book, just to reacquaint ourselves with the consequences of failing to … Continue reading →

Born on 25 August 1916 – Sakai Saburo, Japanese aviator and flying ace for the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. On the first day that I entered seventh grade, my teacher gave everyone a copy of “The Weekly … Continue reading →

“Ah, not to be cut off,” by Rainer Maria Rilke Ah, not to be cut off, not through the slightest partition shut out from the laws of the stars. The inner – what is it? if not the intensified sky, … Continue reading →

Earlier this week, Texas governor Rick Perry responded to critics who have been skeptical of his Presidential qualifications because of his embarrassingly poor college transcript. The governor replied that his academic performance is not nearly as important as the fact … Continue reading →

17 August 1870 – a climbing party makes the first ascent of Mount Rainier, and one hundred and seven years later, I succeeded in reaching the summit. My sons tease me about how anyone can just “walk up Rainier,” but … Continue reading →

16 August 1898 – Edwin Prescott patents the roller coaster, and forty-seven years later his invention achieves perfection in “The Cyclone,” at Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey. Palisades Park was situated on the bluffs above the Hudson River, and … Continue reading →

Born on 14 August 1851 – John Henry “Doc” Holliday, gunfighter, gambler, and dentist in the American Old West. Holliday’s remarkably interesting life is filled with so much myth and legend that there is scholarly disagreement about almost every major … Continue reading →